Glenesk Old Parish Church

Address

AngusDD9 7YZScotland

Introduction

The ruins of Glenesk Old Parish Church stand in a roughly rectangular graveyard overlooking Loch Lee. The present church, measuring 20m by 6m, was built some time in the late 17th century, replacing an earlier building thought to have been burnt to the ground by the Marquis of Montrose in 1645. The early church was dedicated to St Drostan who is said to have established a church on this site in the 8th century.

Description

The church was built with random granite rubble, but only the west, east and north walls survive to nearly their original height. The south wall has not survived, with only fragments visible. It was a small, single-storey structure with a low roof. According to Alexander Gold (see Bibliography) the church was thatched when he visited in the 1760s but was slated by the time the Old Statistical Account was published in 1793.

Presumably there were windows and at least one door in the south elevation, as only the east gable has a small rectangular window, with the north and west walls having none. The rubble walls have been consolidated with cement and mortar to preserve the ruins as much as possible. During his visit, Gold stated that the church bell was installed in a ten foot high wooden 'bell-house', which was attached to the manse.